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Greenhouse tomatoes and eucalyptus tree

andyferrisandyferris Posts: 12
in Problem solving

Hello.

I have a 6 year old 20 ft eucalyptus tree that is very close to the corner of my greenhouse.

Last year, tomatoes thrived in the greenhouse but this year, they are very poor with dried up leaves and split fruit. The plant nearest the tree is the worst affected and I wondered if the tree was damaging them or draining the soil of water and nutrients.

The soil was given a good measure of seaweed and home made compost before the plants went in, but two chillie plants also in the soil alongside the worst affected tomato are thriving. The best I have ever grown in fact.

I wondered if the tree is the problem, and if it is, will chopping it down, but leaving the roots in the ground fix it or do I need to remove the roots too. I can easily get at the base of the trunk to cut the roots from it, but they will extend under a nearby wall and concrete base for an oil tank. Where the roots go into the greenhouse I can also easily dig those out.

Thanks

Andy

Posts

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905

    Several posters on here and several of my family/friends have had problems with their tomatoes this year so it MAY not be the tree that is the prime suspect.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    Are you growing in the same soil in the greenhouse every year, or in pots, or are you replacing the soil?

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,146

    Chilli plants prefer dryer soil than that needed by tomatoes, so if the plants are in the ground, the fact that the chillies are thriving suggests to me that the problem is down to drought, particularly as the tomato plant nearest the tree is the worst affected.

    You don't say what your watering regime is? 

    Last edited: 28 August 2016 07:04:20


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • andyferrisandyferris Posts: 12

    Thanks for the replies. The consensus seems to be a water supply problem rather than the tree itself although I think it might be adding to it. I generally water once a day. The plants are directly in the soil which was boosted with a lot of seaweed and compost before planting.

    I will cut down the tree anyway and kill the root then will probably consider using bags or raised beds in future. It is a 12x8 greenhouse so there is plenty of room in there.

    Thanks

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